Enclosure guard



c. WYILLERS ENCLOSURE GUARD April 4, 1950 Filed June 24, 1946 2Sheets-Sheet 1 five/ 7252: Car] VIZ/[75 Wr Patented Apr. 4, 1950 UNITEDSTATES PATENT F F '1 CE ENCLOSURE GUARD GarlWillers, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 24, 1946, Serial No. 678,791

2'Glaims. 1

"This invention relates in general to enclosure guards Tor machines, andparticularly to enclosure guards for punch presses.

Among the important objects of the invention is the provision of anenclosure guard provided withvertical pins (preferably formed in-theshape of hairpins) adjustably-and removably mounted in apertured rods,and held in position in the apertures in the 'rods 'by frictionalengagement of the pinsbecause of the elasticity or resiliency of thepins, particularly because of the inherent tendency of the pins tospread, and the particularlynovel manner of constructing certainfitin'gsor devices for securing the rods in position whereby the rodsare permitted to be shifted adjustably in various angular positions,whereby there is provided an enclosure of simple and economicalconstruction permitting various size openings to be had and variousangular adjustments to be provided.

Numerous other objects and advantages will be a/pparent'throughout theprogress of the's'pecifi'cation which follows.

The accompanying drawings disclose a selected embodiment of theinvention, and the views therein are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a machine, such as a punch press,and showing the invention applied thereto:

Fig. 2 is a detail view of one 'of'the'pins formed in the-shape of ahairpin; I

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the improved guard arranged inassembled position and showing the manner in which the pins may beshifted to provide a material receiving-opening, also the manner inwhich-the rods may be positioned to eflectangularadjustment;

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional view showing the manner in whichthe rods are supported by a fitting, the manner in which the rods may besecured to a part of the-machine frame, also the manner in which thepins may "be adjustably positioned with respect to an apertured rod;"and Fig. 5 is a detailplan section showing the attachment of the rodsby a fitting, and the spacing of the "apertures for receiving thehairpinlike pins.

The particular enclosure guard herein shown for the purposeo'fillustrating the-invention comprises side attaching rods I. l having'theends 2 thereof bent over in hook=like formation as indicated at 3, Fig.3, and providing a central opening or aperture througnwhich a bolt '1may pass. A threaded opening is provided in a stationary partof themachine 'frame to receive threadedly 2 the bolts or studs 4 for lockingthe rods I rigidly to the machine. The enclosure guard, as "hereinshown, is made in three sections including a equally spaced and areadapted to receive pin members H]. The pin members l0 may comprisesingle rod-like members, but they are -preferably made so as to form twolegs H, II integrally connected at their upper ends by an arcuateportion l2, Fig. 2. Two adjacent holes or apertures 9 in a rod' 8receive the legs H, H, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The legs H, 'Hof the pin members It! preferably are spread apart, as clearly'shown inFig. 2, so that when the legs II' are received in adjacent openings 9the legs will be in relative parallel position, as shown in Figs. 1 and3. The spreading apart of the'legs as shown in Fig. 3 causes the legs tohalve pressure exerted against the sides of the'holes or apertures 9and, therefore, tend to secure the pin members It in proper adjustedposition. The pin members l0 may be raised or lowered to suit cir-'cumstances. Pin members It on the front section 5 may be raised, asclearly shown in Fig. 3,,

to provide a receiving opening l3 through which.

openings in each side thereof and in alignment so' as to permit materialto be fed completely through the machine from one side to the other.

Phe section 5 may be secured to the supporting rod 8 by means of afitting l4. Other fittings M may be provided for securing the rods 3 ofthe front and side sections together, Fig. 3. The fittings M eachcomprises a'body portion l5 which is relatively square or rectangular inhorizontal cross section. The fitting M is preferably of a size slightlyless than the distance between apertures 9 so that the fittings may bereceived in between the legs H. or between each pin member m, as

de ired. The body U5 is rovided with a horizontal opening H5theretbrough. Fig. 4, so as to receive a rod 8. An opening H is alsoformed 5 through the body 55, and this latter opening is preferably atright angles with respect to the first opening and spaced therefrom, asclearly be se- The invention provides, therefore, an enclosure guard toprotect the machine operator, and the enclosure guard as a whole isrelatively flexible because of the innumerable positions andadjustocated 5 ments which may be had. It is not necessary to e arhaveseparate locking devices for each pin memeversher In because each pinmember I0 is maintained The in its adjusted position by frictionalcontact with be at the material surrounding the apertures at the whichabove shows The fittings l4 comprise a solid body 15 which is providedwith outer sides of the apertures.

or del gs or spaced holes arranged at right angles.

i about p Said screws may be provided with slots in their outer ends sothatnough I9 or a lower set screw 20.

e W a b w 1% r n m m t :1 f w H s g n m .1 h h C 8 8 t n b u g n a f 0 nM g o m h A .m h t d W b m e a e C d h p a e a h p R H g C t S e w .m ym a m m m d w an a t a 0 m w m a Sndee e. d. Qo.v flv t B dMe t hym n ed mwmmm mamwm amw game in mmmamnmam mam mmwmm r Al uu l p 8 n bl t n u t.l y .t e e S a re a e w m Ma 0 d bm m a u m awn a 1 u a they may betightened or loosened by a screw In actual practice, however, it hasbeen found advantageous that the said screws be the screws which consistof a socket provided in the outer end of a screw. These latter screwsare operated by means of an angle wrench having an end fitting into thesocket.

Changes may be made in the form, construcangution and arrangement of theparts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificingany of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all suchchanges as fall fairly within the scope of the following claims:

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A closure guard for machines comprising a rod having a plurality ofspaced holes extending therethrough, pin members formed in ahairpinshape having the legs thereof slidably passing guard through saidholes, the legs of the hairpin-shaped members being frictionally engagedin said holes for adjustment therein, a relatively rectangular-sectional measurement less than the distance between a pair of saidholes en the legs of the pin member when the legs of a pin member are inadjacent holes, said fitting member having spaced upper and lower holesextending horizonone of said latter holes being e malocated at a 90degree angle with respect to the other hole, and a screw memberthreadedly engaging a threaded opening formed in the upper and lowerends of the fitting and adapted to extend into the respective latterholes so as to lock a rod in a hole when a cooperating screw member isscrewed in position in the fitting.

2. An adjustable enclosure guard to enclose certain operating parts of amachine so as to protect the hands of a machine operator from saidoperin ating machine parts and comprising a plurality of sections, eachsection comprising a rod having a plurality of apertures extendingtherethrough pins adapted to pass through said apertures and adapted tobeadjustably positioned in said apertures longitudinally of the pins,means for creating relative friction between the sides of the aperturesand the pins by the engagement of the pins with the material surroundingsaid apertures so as to maindowntain the pins in relative adjustedposition, and

means for adjustably connecting the sections together, said last namedmeans comprising a body having a horizontal opening therethrough 'toreceive slidingly and pivotally the rod of a certain section, said bodyhaving a, threaded hole extending longitudinally of the body at one endand communicating with the said opening, a set screw threadedly engagingthe hole to lock said rod in said opening, said body having a secondhorizontal opening therethrough at an angle to the first opening toreceive slidingly and pivotally the rod of another section, there beinga threaded hole in the other end of the body in communication with saidsecond opening, a set screw threadedly engaging said second hole to looka rod of a section in said second opening, and means to secure a saidsection rigidly to a stationary part of a machine, said last named meansincluding a round rod terminating in an eye to receive an attachingfastener CARL WILLERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Publication: Advertisement in Modern IndustrialPress, by the Strand Mfg. Co., Inc., 609 West Lake St., Chicago 6, I11.,issue of 1946, page 49.

